scholarly journals Restoration of a degraded oak forest in Mexico City by introducing tree native species

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (4) ◽  
pp. 595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Chávez-García ◽  
Ana Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Open Area ◽  
Area Index

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Uncontrollable urban expansion and population growth converted Mexico City into one of the largest cities of the world. Ravines remain important oak forest relicts that should be conserved and restored to recover the biodiversity and the ecological services they provide.</p><p><strong>Question: </strong>Is an open area equally appropriate for ecological restoration as is the forest edge? Does plant performance of introduced species vary between the open area and the forest edge?<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Study species: </strong><em>Prunus serotina</em>,<em> Quercus rugosa</em>, and<em> Crataegus mexicana</em>.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Study site: </strong>Oak forest in<strong> </strong>Barranca de Tarango, Mexico City; July 2010 to July 2012.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> Plants of these species were planted in the forest edge and in an open area adjacent to it, where soil properties and light conditions were measured.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Soil properties and leaf area index were better and significantly larger, respectively, in the forest edge than in the open area. Stem height, basal area and number of sprouts of these plants did not differ between sites or years. Plants of <em>C. mexicana</em> produced the largest number of sprouts, followed by <em>Q. rugosa</em>. Survival of plants was similar in the open area and the forest edge; however, <em>P. serotina</em> had the lowest survival, and <em>C. mexicana</em> the highest.<strong></strong></p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> <em>Q. rugosa</em> and <em>C.</em> <em>mexicana</em> with higher survival are more likely to perform better in both sites than <em>P. serotina,</em>on account of their ability to produce more sprouts. The forest edge is better than the open area for introducing native species in Barranca de Tarango. Low performance of these species was mainly due to the construction of a highway that crosses the study area.<p> </p>

scholarly journals Similar Impacts of Alien and Native Tree Species on Understory Light Availability in a Temperate Forest

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dyderski ◽  
Jagodziński
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Biomass Allocation ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Native Tree ◽  
Native Tree Species

Research Highlights: We evaluated influence of alien and native trees and shrubs on stand leaf area index to basal area ratio, indicating that both groups provide similar amounts of foliage. Background and Objectives: Foliage traits determine tree species effect on understory light availability. Direct comparisons of understory light availability due to different foliage traits of tree species are conducted less often at the stand level. We hypothesized that light availability is driven by canopy leaf area, and alien species contribution to canopy foliage will be similar to native species due to analogous patterns of biomass allocation in tree species. Materials and Methods: We studied forests dominated by alien and native tree species in Wielkopolski National Park (Western Poland). We measured light availability using the LAI-2200 canopy analyzer (Li-Cor Inc., Lincoln, NE, USA) and we calculated leaf area index (LAI) in 170 stands using published models of foliage biomass and data on specific leaf area. Results: Our study confirmed an impact of LAI on light availability in the understory layer. Analyzing the proportion of contribution to stand LAI and basal area (BA) we found that most alien species did not differ in LAI to BA ratio from native species. The exception was Prunus serotina Ehrh., with a LAI to BA ratio higher than all native and alien trees. However, the highest LAI to BA ratios we found were for the alien shrub Cotoneaster lucidus Schltdl. and native shrubs of fertile broadleaved forests. Conclusions: Our study showed that alien species contribution to shading the understory is comparable to native species, with the exception of P. serotina due to its dominance in the higher shrub canopy strata where it exhibits different patterns of biomass allocation than native trees. Our study explained that invasive tree species impact on light availability in forest ecosystems is mainly mediated by the increased quantity of foliage, not by more effective LAI to BA ratio.

scholarly journals An invasive shrub Lantana camara L. alters the flora and soils in tropical dry deciduous forests of Central India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvaiz Ahmad Lone ◽  
Javid Ahmad Dar ◽  
Subashree Kothandaraman ◽  
Mohammed Latif Khan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Central India ◽  
Lantana Camara ◽  
Deciduous Forests ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Invasive Weed ◽  
Noxious Weed

Abstract Background and AimsLantana camara is a highly noxious invasive weed species of global concern. However, its impacts on floristic and soil properties in tropical dry deciduous forests are elusive and fragmented. We aimed to assess the changes in the flora and soil properties following the invasion by Lantana camara in Central Indian forest ecosystems.MethodsThree study sites were selected and each site was further divided into two subsites: Lantana-invaded (LI) and uninvaded (UI). In total, 60 plots of 0.25 ha each (10 plots in each subsite) were laid randomly. Within each plot floristic structure, composition, diversity and soil SOC, STN, M%, pH and bulk density were assessed.ResultsLantana-invaded sites showed a significant decrease in density (D), basal area (BA), species richness (SR) and evenness (E) of seedlings (< 3cm diameter at breast height (DBH)), juveniles (> 3-9.9cm DBH), and herbs. In LI sites, a reduction of 57 and 25% has been observed in lower DBH class of trees (< 3cm and > 3-9.9cm). In all LI sites, a significant increase of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN) and soil moisture (M%) and a significant decrease of pH and bulk density (BD) were recorded.ConclusionsLantana may greatly impact the vegetation and soil properties and, successively, these strong changes increase its invasive potential and ability to replace native species by averting their natural regeneration potential. Therefore, a proper management strategy of this noxious weed is imperative to prevent its further expansion and future problems.

Subsoil organic carbon turnover is dominantly controlled by soil properties in grasslands across China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuehong Shi ◽  
Xiaolu Tang ◽  
Peng Yu ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
Guo Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Carbon Turnover ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Environmental Controls ◽  
Biogeochemical Models ◽  
Soc Stock

&lt;p&gt;Soil carbon turnover time (&amp;#964;, year) is an important indicator of soil carbon stability, and a major factor in determining soil carbon sequestration capacity. Many studies investigated &amp;#964; in the topsoil or the first meter underground, however, little is known about subsoil &amp;#964; (0.2 &amp;#8211; 1.0 m) and its environmental drivers, while world subsoils below 0.2 m accounts for the majority of total soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and may be as sensitive as that of the topsoil to climate change. We used the observations from the published literatures to estimate subsoil &amp;#964; (the ratio of SOC stock to net primary productivity) in grasslands across China and employed regression analysis to detect the environmental controls on subsoil &amp;#964;. Finally, structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to identify the dominant environmental driver (including climate, vegetation and soil). Results showed that subsoil &amp;#964; varied greatly from 5.52 to 702.17 years, and the mean (&amp;#177; standard deviation) subsoil &amp;#964; was 118.5 &amp;#177; 97.8 years. Subsoil &amp;#964; varied significantly among different grassland types that it was 164.0 &amp;#177; 112.0 years for alpine meadow, 107.0 &amp;#177; 47.9 years for alpine steppe, 177.0 &amp;#177; 143.0 years for temperate desert steppe, 96.6 &amp;#177; 88.7 years for temperate meadow steppe, 101.0 &amp;#177; 75.9 years for temperate typical steppe. Subsoil &amp;#964; significantly and negatively correlated (p &lt; 0.05) with vegetation index, leaf area index and gross primary production, highlighting the importance of vegetation on &amp;#964;. Mean annual temperature (MAT) and precipitation (MAP) had a negative impact on subsoil &amp;#964;, indicating a faster turnover of soil carbon with the increasing of MAT or MAP under ongoing climate change. SEM showed that soil properties, such as soil bulk density, cation exchange capacity and soil silt, were the most important variables driving subsoil &amp;#964;, challenging our current understanding of climatic drivers (MAT and MAP) controlling on topsoil &amp;#964;, further providing new evidence that different mechanisms control topsoil and subsoil &amp;#964;. These conclusions demonstrated that different environmental controls should be considered for reliable prediction of soil carbon dynamics in the top and subsoils in biogeochemical models or earth system models at regional or global scales.&lt;/p&gt;

Urban expansion into a protected natural area in Mexico City: alternative management scenarios

2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yair Merlín-Uribe ◽  
Armando Contreras-Hernández ◽  
Marta Astier-Calderón ◽  
Olaf P. Jensen ◽  
Rigel Zaragoza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mexico City ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Natural Area ◽  
Management Scenarios ◽  
Alternative Management ◽  
Protected Natural Area

scholarly journals Algorithm for assessing forest stand productivity index using leaf area index

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 1311
Author(s):  
Faid Abdul Manan ◽  
Muhammad Buce Saleh ◽  
I Nengah Surati Jaya ◽  
Uus Saepul Mukarom
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Estimation Model ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
Stand Productivity ◽  
Variable Combination

This paper describes a development of an algorithm for assessing stand productivity by considering the stand variables. Forest stand productivity is one of the crucial information that required to establish the business plan for unit management at the beginning of forest planning activity. The main study objective is to find out the most significant and accurate variable combination to be used for assessing the forest stand productivity, as well as to develop productivity estimation model based on leaf area index. The study found the best stand variable combination in assessing stand productivity were density of poles (X2), volume of commercial tree having diameter at breast height (dbh) 20-40 cm (X16), basal area of commercial tree of dbh &gt;40 cm (X20) with Kappa Accuracy of 90.56% for classifying into 5 stand productivity classes. It was recognized that the examined algorithm provides excellent accuracy of 100% when the stand productivity was classified into only 3 classes. The best model for assessing the stand productivity index with leaf area index is y = 0.6214x - 0.9928 with R2= 0.71, where y is productivity index and x is leaf area index.

scholarly journals Zuwachs und Klimasensitivität von Baumarten im Ökogramm der kollinen und submontanen Stufe

2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (6) ◽  
pp. 380-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Weber ◽  
Caroline Heiri ◽  
Mathieu Lévesque ◽  
Tanja Sanders ◽  
Volodymyr Trotsiuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Climate Sensitivity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Basal Area Increment ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Mean Sensitivity

Growth potential and climate sensitivity of tree species in the ecogram for the colline and submontane zone In forestry practice a large amount of empirical knowledge exists about the productivity of individual tree species in relation to site properties. However, so far, only few scientific studies have investigated the influence of soil properties on the growth potential of various tree species along gradients of soil water as well as nutrient availability. Thus, there is a research gap to estimate the productivity and climate sensitivity of tree species under climate change, especially regarding productive sites and forest ad-mixtures in the lower elevations. Using what we call a «growth ecogram», we demonstrate species- and site-specific patterns of mean annual basal area increment and mean sensitivity of ring width (strength of year-to-year variation) for Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Picea abies, Abies alba and Pinus sylvestris, based on tree-ring data from 508 (co-)dominant trees on 27 locations. For beech, annual basal area increment ( average 1957–2006) was significantly correlated with tree height of the dominant sampling trees and proved itself as a possible alternative for assessing site quality. The fact that dominant trees of the different tree species showed partly similar growth potential within the same ecotype indicates comparable growth limitation by site conditions. Mean sensitivity of ring width – a measure of climate sensitivity – had decreased for oak and ash, while it had increased in pine. Beech showed diverging reactions with increasing sensitivity at productive sites (as measured by the C:N ratio of the topsoil), suggesting an increasing limitation by climate at these sites. Hence, we derive an important role of soil properties in the response of forests to climate change at lower elevations, which should be taken into account when estimating future forest productivity.

scholarly journals Estimated carbon dioxide exchange for three native species in an ecological reserve of Mexico City

Atmósfera ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Sánchez-León ◽  
◽  
Telma Gloria Castro ◽  
Oscar Augusto Peralta ◽  
Harry Álvarez-Ospina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Mexico City ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Exchange ◽  
Ecological Reserve

scholarly journals Warm Spells and Climate Risk to Human Health in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-365
Author(s):  
Nuria Vargas ◽  
Víctor Magaña
Keyword(s):  
Mexico City ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Natural Vegetation ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Daily Maximum ◽  
Canopy Layer

AbstractDuring the second half of the twentieth century, rapid demographic growth and urban expansion led to the development of the Mexico City metropolitan area (MCMA) urban heat island (UHI). The thermal gradient between rural and urban regions is used to define the UHI in the transition zone along the 26°C isotherm of mean maximum temperature. As the MCMA expands, more natural vegetation is replaced with urbanization, and the spatial extent of the 26°C isotherm grows. The loss of natural vegetation, in a densely populated region of Mexico, leads to the formation of a canopy-layer UHI. The intensification of the MCMA UHI results in an increase in the frequency of daily maximum temperatures above 30°C (above 26°C on a weekly average), a threshold value that constitutes a natural hazard. Warm-spell occurrences are related to an increase in the number of acute diarrhea diseases (ADD), mainly in zones of the MCMA where the socioeconomic and environmental conditions are low (e.g., insufficient access to potable water). Vulnerable people are mostly located in new settlements along the periphery of the MCMA, where large numbers of hospital discharges due to ADD are reported. The combined effect of more frequent warm spells and increasing vulnerability results in higher levels of risk of suffering this type of health problem, mainly during the warmest part of the year. This analysis may serve to develop UHI mitigation strategies and early warning systems to manage high levels of ADD risk during warm spells.

scholarly journals Soil Properties and Plant Community Changes along a Goat Grazing Intensity Gradient in an Open Canopy Oak Forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimilia LEMPESI ◽  
Apostolos P. KYRIAZOPOULOS ◽  
Michail ORFANOUDAKIS ◽  
Georgios KORAKIS
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Goat Grazing ◽  
Open Canopy ◽  
Grazing Intensities ◽  
Soil Measurements

Understanding how the management practices of silvopastoral systems affect the long-term sustainability of oak ecosystems and what their influence is on nutrient cycling and plant community, is of great interest. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of relative grazing intensity on soil properties and on vegetation characteristics in an open canopy oak forest dominated by Quercus frainetto. The research was conducted in the area of Pentalofos, which is located in Evros region, north-eastern Greece and is grazed by goats. The distance from a goat corral was used to represent relative grazing intensity. In June 2011, soil and vegetation samples were collected along transects placed at 50, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 m from the goat corral, running perpendicular to three replicates. Soil measurements included pH, phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) concentrations while vegetation measurements included plant cover, species composition and diversity. Plant cover was not significantly different among grazing intensities. Species diversity, especially of the woody vegetation layer, was significantly higher in the light grazing intensity in comparison to both the heavy and the very light grazing. Heavy grazing reduced soil organic matter while it increased total nitrogen. Grazing intensity did not affect available P and soil pH. Light to moderate goat grazing could ameliorate floristic diversity and increase sustainability of oak forests in the Mediterranean region.

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